The Potato Event of the Year

University of Idaho Potato Conference

The 46th Annual University of Idaho Potato Conference and 35th Ag Expo are scheduled for Jan. 21-23, 2014, at Idaho State University. The Idaho Crop Improvement Association will also host its annual Seed Grower’s Seminar on the Jan. 21. We urge all potato people to attend because, as usual, there will be something for everyone at this year’s big potato event.

As we prepare this article, we are still in the process of getting the program finalized but we already have commitments for a number of interesting and informative topics. Presentations are scheduled from important industry organizations such as the National Potato Council, the Idaho Potato Commission and the United States Potato Board, just to name a few.

What’s the latest on potato legislation? How about changes in the state of Idaho or the progress of efforts to increase potato consumption? This is the place to find out.

We will have our usual slate of workshops on management of diseases, insects and weeds along with other opportunities for those who wish to receive pesticide applicator’s recertification credits. There will also be an entire new slate of workshops on other aspects of potato production such as Columbia root knot nematode management, sugar end development, alternatives to fumigation, and nutritional impacts on disease development. We will again be offering Spanish-language workshops on both days of the conference.

For those of you who have an interest in the economics of potato production, we have scheduled workshops on estate planning, cost of production and calculating and optimizing machinery and harvesting costs at this year’s conference. Are you wondering how the Affordable Health Care Act will affect your farming operation? This year there will be special presentations on this and other pertinent subjects, including the economic impact of potato virus Y (PVY) and the economics of new potato varieties.

There will be reports on some of the latest developments concerning the two large SCRI grants—one on the PVY project and the other on the acrylamide project. How about a workshop on beneficial insects, or the latest on BRR and zebra chip? These and many more important and timely subjects will be covered.

Back by popular request is the Potato Science Course. Taught by the University of Idaho Potato Team members, this course covers production of the entire crop from seed piece through storage. It’s a great opportunity to learn the basics or to get back up to speed if you’re a little rusty.

For those looking for something completely different, we have also scheduled another Mythbusters session. Can we bust the myths or not? You’ll have to come and see!

The Idaho Potato Conference and Ag Expo is an excellent venue to get the latest information on all aspects of potato production and an opportunity to meet with old friends and business contacts as well as make new ones.